NAU to host sustainable tourism conference

Northern Arizona University's School of Hotel and Restaurant Management will host an international conference this month on sustainable tourism.

The BEST Education Network's seventh annual Think Tank will meet in Flagstaff on June 21-24.

This year's Think Tank will focus on "Innovations for Sustainable Tourism." Like all tourism destinations, sustainable destinations must maintain their appeal and viability, while answering to a higher standard of sustaining the environment.

"When we first began holding the Think Tanks on Sustainable Travel in South Africa, the concept of sustainable management of travel operations was just breaking ground," said Claudia Jurowski, chair for Think Tank VII. "Today, most hospitality and tourism companies see sustainable management as important for cost savings and consumer confidence."

NAU professor Alan A. Lew will deliver one of the keynote presentations. Other presenters include Daniel Fesenmaier from Temple University, Simon Darcy of the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, and Ivo Martinac of the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden.

The conference will explore the dynamics of sustainability and tourism using various approaches. An Open Industry Forum will feature regional examples of sustainable tourism innovations, paper presentations by researchers and industry representatives from around the world. Sessions also will be dedicated to developing a cutting-edge research agenda.

Nearly 60 participants are expected. A half-day tour to Sedona, including the Institute of EcoTourism, will demonstrate practical approaches toward innovation and sustainable tourism.